Mint, Vanilla, and Cigarette Smoke
by whywolfcity
Summary: For Usopp Gardner, the thought of escaping Sanji Duquesne's friend zone in exchange for something more was terrifying. It never crossed Usopp's mind that breaking into a hotel pool in the dead of night would be the perfect opportunity to try. AU SanUso oneshot.


**Hello, reader(s)! I hope you're all doing well today.**

**My number one One Piece OTP is definitely SanUso. That ship sails itself. I've always wanted to write a SanUso fic, so, here it is. In this story, everyone has their post-timeskip appearances, and ages are specified throughout. Also, translations are noted at the bottom, because I simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to use some French - I'm taking it all four years of high school, anyway. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and places from One Piece are the property of Eiichiro Oda. **

**P.S. I got Sanji's last name from CSI: Miami. It's pronounced like "do-cane". Just a tip. ^-^**

* * *

Usopp Gardner let out a passionate sigh and rested his elbow on the picnic table before him, placing his cheek in his hand and staring ahead. "Isn't he so cute, guys?"

The heads of the three other eleventh graders at the table didn't have to turn to know who Usopp was sighing about. One of them, a pale boy with short pink hair and glasses pushed up onto his forehead, looked down at his soggy fries, jabbing at the food with a plastic fork. "I have no idea what you see in him."

"That's because you don't like guys the way Usopp does, Coby," contributed a black-haired boy with gigantic eyes and a yellow straw hat. He giggled slightly, his shoulders shaking. "Besides, if you did, you'd probably have a crush on Usopp, anyway! Don't you think so, Kaya? Shishishi!"

"Something tells me you want them together, Luffy." The lone girl, a blonde with hazel eyes, looked up from her novel with a grin. "Then again, Usopp's too busy fawning over his piece of blond-haired, blue-eyed man-candy."

"Don't make fun!" Usopp pouted with a quick, stern glance at his friends, quickly resuming his loving gaze at the male at the table across the garden. "I heard he's the reason why both the hip-hop and the Latin dance teams got platinum medals at the tournament two months ago. He must be _very _light on his feet. Oh, what I would give to let him guide me along a dance floor..."

"I don't know why you can't just _tell _the guy how you feel," Kaya scolded with a shrug. "You're totally crazy about him, Usopp."

Usopp frowned, tangling one of his fingers in a tendril of his thick black hair that managed to escape the scrunchie. "It's not like I'm invisible to him or anything! We're great friends! I just... I don't want to ruin anything."

Usopp straightened his back quickly and smiled widely when the object of his affection looked over at him, waving slightly. Usopp waved enthusiastically, accidentally whacking himself in his abnormally long nose. He could feel a blush spreading across his tanned cheeks when the blond laughed and turned back to his friends.

Coby snorted, shaking his head. "You're hopeless."

"I _know_, okay?" The love-stricken teenager rubbed his nose, blinking away the tears in his eyes that had sprouted from the blinding pain.

Usopp whimpered and held his head in his hands as his friends snickered. Although himself and this particular boy, Sanji Duquesne, had been friends for quite some time, the crush that Usopp had been developing on the twelfth grader had been growing stronger and stronger still. Usopp rarely got to escape Sanji; not only did they both attend school at the Sandersonia Academy, but they both worked at the same coffee shop on weekday afternoons. It drove Usopp positively insane, but he would never admit that to Sanji. He would end up getting horribly tongue-tied, anyway. It was an unrealistic, uncontrollable crush.

Luffy's normally happy expression melted into one of sincerity. "Even then, you should probably get it over with soon. He'll be graduating in two weeks. Then, he'll be gone forever and you'll probably never see him again, besides at work. He'll probably quit because he's too busy, anyway."

"Would it kill you to be a little less blunt, you ass pimple?" Usopp groaned, rubbing his temples.

Kaya sighed. "What Luffy's trying to say, Usopp, is that you'll feel a lot better if you get it off your chest. He's your friend - the worst he can say is no, right?"

"Or he could say that he would never go out with Usopp because he's utterly repulsive and loser-ish." Luffy pointed out, resulting in Usopp groaning wildly.

Kaya made a sour face at Luffy and smiled kindly at Usopp. "Don't listen to him, Usopp. Just tell him when you're good and ready."

"I wish it was sooner..." Usopp lamented. He watched as Sanji conversed animatedly with his group of friends.

Luffy took a bite out of the elephantine turkey leg in his left hand. "Plus, he likes boys and girls, so you have more competition. I heard he kissed my big brother, Ace, at a party a few days ago. So, technically, you're already losing."

"Luffy, stop it!"

On the opposite side of the garden sat a group of four teenagers, among the oldest grade in the school. They all looked similar, having to wear the same white Oxford shirt under a grey sweatshirt, paired with indigo dress pants, or, in the case of the lone female there, a plaid skirt, but they were all very special. This particular group was composed of the elite high school seniors - the richest.

"That kid's been staring at you for, like, ten minutes, Sanji." A male with shaggy black hair hidden underneath an orange cowboy hat and freckles across his tanned skin noted to his blond friend across a mouthful of hamburger meat.

A girl with long, bright orange hair and red-brown eyes looked over at the specimen on the other side of the grassy field. "Now that you mention it, he has been, Sanji. It's creepy."

"Is that the kid you were telling us about? The one who's stalking you?" The green-haired, muscular boy snickered, sipping from a brown leather flask.

After taking a long drag from a cigarette, the object of Usopp's affection smirked at his friends from the cherry blossom tree against which he was leaning. The blue eye that wasn't covered by his blond hair flickered among his three friends as he sighed, walking over to the group. "He's not stalking me. Don't put words in my mouth, you shitty marimo-head."

"I don't think you need any more foreign objects in your mouth after that party, Sanji." Ace winked at the blond, who simply groaned in reply.

"What happens in my house stays in my house, remember?" Nami scolded before taking a sip of her lemonade.

"Of course, Nami-swan~!" Sanji chirped, sliding onto the bench between Zoro and the female. She recoiled from his pouted lips with a scowl.

"Is the plan still a go? I seriously need to get away from my granddad." Ace inquired.

"We're meeting up at the café in two weeks to discuss it," Sanji said, a triumphant smile on his face. "Vivi-chan, Bonney-san, Hancock-chan, Keimi-chan, Marco, Law, and that annoying Helmeppo creep are on board with it."

Ace raised an eyebrow and rested his chin on his right hand. "You must be hella convincing to get seven other people on board."

Sanji hoisted himself onto the table and crossed his long legs. "What can I say? My charm is inevitable."

Sanji prided himself on his ability to attract people. According to the other students, Sanji Duquesne was the definition of popular. Being so smart, charming and talented, he was very well-liked among the school community. Apparently, this had the greatest affect on the junior boy, Usopp. Sanji didn't mind how the boy constantly swooned over his every action. Being so popular, he was quite used to it.

"Maybe you should bring your little buddy along, Sanji." Zoro winked his unsealed right eye at the blond. "I'm sure he'd kill to see you half-naked and dripping wet."

"I'm sure _you _would, you shitty alcoholic," Sanji flicked a foot in Zoro's direction, sending the flask flying across the garden. "Had Nami-swan not wished it so, I would recall the bathtub scene."

"Listen, you dartboard-brow waste of space-"

Nami's fists collided flawlessly against the heads of the bickering teens surrounding her. "Don't start!"

The following fourteen days were dreadful for Usopp. Studying for exams and actually doing them, as usual, proved to be a strenuous process. Working at the café was near torture around Sanji. Usopp knew that he couldn't afford to hold his feelings in any longer, especially because Sanji's graduation had already passed, leaving Usopp a mere two months until he was, as Luffy so eloquently put it, gone forever.

It was a sunny Friday afternoon - the fifth weekday of summer vacation. Usopp ended his stroll from his townhouse into the place of his employment, the Centauria Café. It was a cozy place, with an assortment of overstuffed couches and exquisitely designed tables and chairs spread out across the store. The establishment housed an overpowering scent of baked goods, and it was rather comforting, but there was a particular smell that Usopp was longing for - that fascinating, alluring mix of mint, vanilla and cigarette smoke that continuously wafted off of Sanji.

Usopp slipped in behind the counter, managing to catch his reflection in the mirror. He made a face at the light sheen of sweat on his forehead and nose caused by the sun and the humidity, as well as the out of character frizziness of his hair. He furiously wiped at the moisture on his skin, frowning. No way would Sanji find it at all attractive.

"Hello, Usopp."

The familiar creamy baritone rang through Usopp's ears and made his knees weak. He felt a surge of lust course through his body, striking his heart and another place that wasn't so favourable at the moment. His dark eyes fell upon the source of the husky voice, swooning on the inside at the sight of the ever-so-sexy tall blond. Mint, vanilla, and the bitter smoke to set it all off. "S-Sanji."

"Robin-chan's gonna kick your ass for being late again," Sanji laughed, gesturing to the clock. "I suggest you go ahead and take care of the orders with Tamanegi before she comes out here."

Usopp was hoping that Sanji didn't see him shiver while watching Sanji's lips move. "Y-Yeah. You're, uh... you're right."

Sanji, with a slight smile, stepped closer to the younger male. "Je serai dans la cuisine si vous avez besoin de moi, d'accord?*"

Usopp's knees quaked horribly and he grabbed the tiled counter quickly. His heart slammed into his chest. "Wahhhh..."

Sanji winked and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Usopp to clutch his chest and heave a sigh. Sanji's French origin had always been Usopp's weak spot, of sorts, and the blond had always used that to his advantage when he fake-flirted with the younger boy.

Usopp laboriously trudged to the cash register, trying hard to stop imagining Sanji whispering to him about just what he would like to do to Usopp in that beautiful language. "Four hours, four hours, four hours..."

Tamanegi, a short, young boy of only fifteen, smirked at Usopp before sticking a medium coffee cup beneath a machine. "Hmm."

"What?" Usopp snapped, planting his hands on his hips and staring at his co-worker.

"Nothing, nothing..." Tamanegi walked over to the counter and snapped a lid onto the cup. "Just thinking about how well you handed that conversation... with the 'wahhhh' and all."

Usopp's eyes narrowed. "Listen, you little imp, you-"

The costumer who had just arrived at the counter frowned slightly. Usopp blushed furiously while Tamanegi snickered. _Four hours..._

Shortly after two or three customers had been served, topped with several jokes from Tamanegi and thoughts about how good Sanji was with his tongue clouding Usopp's mind, Usopp looked up to notice exactly ten teenagers - an even split of five wickedly curvy girls and five males of all different sizes - file into the establishment and head for a booth. Usopp only recognized three of them from school, but he'd never seen the others at Sandersonia, or anywhere else, for that matter, but he was instantly intrigued by them when Sanji snuck out of the kitchen and over to the group.

Sanji slid into the booth and wrapped his arms around the shoulders of two of the girls, who instantly curled up to him (Usopp's stomach lurched at the sight and he crushed a receipt in his right fist) as he grinned. "Welcome to the Centauria, ladies and gentlemen... and Law."

A male with a lazy grin and a furry white hat, the one whom Sanji had addressed separately, stretched out vertically on the seat."_This _is where you work? How... cute."

The girl on Sanji's right flipped her long, black hair over her shoulder and studied the blond with her ice blue eyes. "We're not here to judge, Law. We're here to discuss the plan."

_Plan?_ Intrigued, Usopp raised an eyebrow and sidled over to the end of the counter, grabbing a broom and mumbling to Tamanegi to man the cash register. He pretended to sweep the tiles, clumsily tripping over the bristles as he made his way over to the table. _What plan?_

"... scaling the fence will probably be the biggest challenge, aside from getting out of there." A girl with pink hair and a gold dermal piercing folded her arms beneath her massive chest as she spoke. "We've broken into enough places to take care of it."

"Maybe _you _have, Bonney, but I'm not too much of a fan of getting arrested." A girl with lengthy blue hair and innocent grey eyes leaned into Sanji's left shoulder. "I'm just so nervous."

Sanji ran a hand through her hair. "I'll handle it, Vivi-chan. Don't worry."

This Vivi girl's innocent act made Usopp scoff audibly - audibly enough for all eleven heads to turn and for all eleven pairs of eyes to narrow at him. As if he were a deer in headlights, Usopp froze, hunched awkwardly over the broom. The boy waved weakly. "Uhm ... hi."

Sanji chuckled softly. Starting from his far left, Sanji listed, "Have you met my friends, Usopp? This is Nami, Keimi, Ace, Helmeppo, Vivi, Hancock, Zoro, Marco, Bonney, and Law. Guys, this is my good friend, Usopp."

_Good friend? That's like an almost-boyfriend, right? _This thought made Usopp smile and he pointed to himself with his right thumb. "That's me!"

Ace arched an eyebrow and grinned. "My, my, my, oh, my, what do we have here? It's the creepy eleventh grade kid from school. The one who stares at Mr. Duquesne over here all the time."

A reserved, wealthy-looking male with shoulder-length, blond hair and strange sunglasses that looked like a thick horizontal line that was introduced as Helmeppo snorted. "Is this the president of your fan club, Sanji?"

"Hey kid," Marco called out. "Are you aware of the fact that there's a dick on your face?"

Usopp, never having had thick skin, bit down hard on the inside of his bottom lip to keep it from quivering. Sanji noticed Usopp's hurt expression and intervened before a giggling Keimi, a girl with short green hair and wide eyes, could offer an insult. "Come sit with us, Usopp."

The sweeper's eyes widened and sparkled. He could only picture the scowls on Hancock's and Vivi's faces when he lowered himself into Sanji's lap, when the sweet blond would gather Usopp into his arms, that crystal clear blue eye staring intently into Usopp's brown ones, hearts pounding, closing the gap between their lips...

"There's a space over beside Law."

_Maybe not the lap part, then. _Usopp leaned the broom against a nearby wall and scooted onto the seat. "So... what's new?"

"Nothing _you _need to know about. Are all grade eleven kids so nosy?" Hancock sneered.

"Play nice, guys," Sanji cooed, turning to his co-worker afterwards. "We were thinking we'd all go for a dip in that glorious pool over on Ohara Street tomorrow night."

Usopp's eyebrows furrowed. He thought about his and his father's conversation over breakfast that morning. Usopp's father, Yasopp, worked as a security guard for the hotel to which the pool belonged, the Amazon Lily. He was telling Usopp about the pool shutting down for inspection after a little girl fractured her arm when one of the small slides made for children broke. "That pool's been closed for weeks."

"That's the idea." Nami deadpanned.

Usopp blinked slowly. "I don't...?"

Zoro rolled his visible eye. "We're breaking in, asshat."

"B-Breaking in? But-but-but you'll get caught! You'll be arrested!" Usopp fretted. He didn't so much care for the other ten - just the blond in the centre of the action. He couldn't stand to see such a beauty stuck behind bars just because he wanted to have a bit of fun.

Sanji's soothing voice sounded, forcing Usopp to relax. "Don't worry about us, Usopp - we'll be fine," He turned to address the rest of the group. "So, here's the dream: we meet up on the corner of Marineford and Ohara by 10:50. Hop the fence by 11. Everyone remembers the escape plan, right?"

The other teenagers nodded and laughed, rejoicing about how fun it was going to be. Usopp pouted slightly. No matter how unkind they were to him, he wanted to be a part of the fun if it meant he got to be with Sanji. It was the perfect opportunity to tell Sanji how he felt. He had to get himself in somehow...

"My dad's a weekday security guard there. I can get you guys the keys so you eliminate having to waste time going over the fence. Plus, he has a pretty loaded liquor cabinet."

All conversation ceased quickly and everyone's gaze was locked on Usopp. He smirked at the surprised expressions on the faces of the crowd, especially at the way Sanji's eye widened as he asked, "Would you?"

"Sure..." Usopp replied, folding his arms and leaning back in the chair. "As long as you let me come."

Most of the looks on the café visitors' faces hardened, but Usopp's knight in shining armour stepped in, his grin causing butterflies to erupt inside the youngest of the group. "You're in."

From the moment the two words left Sanji's luscious lips, the excitement stirred within Usopp and carried on into the next evening. The boy had intensely conversed with Kaya over the phone about the deal, ignoring her scolding and instead interrogating her about what he should wear. He didn't sleep a wink. Not after imagining a soaking, dripping wet, muscular Sanji emerging from the water, bright blue swim trunks that matched his eyes hanging low on his hips, sauntering across the tiles and planting a kiss so wonderful and tender onto the lips of a very willing Usopp, those strong, calloused hands seizing Usopp's body...

To say he couldn't wait was an extremely severe understatement.

~•~

Usopp's hands were still shaking, making the keys jingle and the whiskey swish about as he stood on the street corner in the humid Saturday night. He figured he was too early, since there wasn't anyone there yet. He shivered relentlessly, hoping that his father wasn't searching for his keys or his expensive bottle of Grand Line Whiskey. He felt terribly overexposed in his tight white tank top and yellow swim trunks, but Kaya demanded that he wear it to "sell himself" to Sanji. The gigantic, gated pool behind the tall, elegant Amazon Lily was just across the street.

Usopp was starting to think he'd been lied to until he spotted the herd of teens walking down the street, holding an interesting assortment of items: boxes of beer cans, colourful beach balls, flotation devices, and more. They stood at the street corner, greeting Usopp accordingly. He was much more focused on Sanji, who, luckily for Usopp, decided to go shirtless that night. The blond led the brigade across the street.

Sanji lit a cigarette, the red glow of its end hypnotizing Usopp like it always had. Sanji slipped the object between his lips and nodded at the boy. "Do your dirt, Mr. Gardner."

Usopp waddled over to the grand, black gate, fumbling with the key for a good thirty seconds before finally managing to unlock it. He swung it open and beamed at the crew. "Ladies first."

They cheered as they pranced between the gates, already making themselves at home: the girls stripped themselves of their oversized t-shirts, revealing colourful bikinis; alcohol was set down in whatever place wasn't occupied by a beach chair or a potted plant; someone playing the radio from an MP3 player docking station. They were making an awful lot of noise and Usopp began to worry until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He shivered and nearly melted beneath Sanji's touch.

"Nice job, Usopp." Sanji winked before disappearing to join his friends. Usopp followed, closing the gate behind him as he bit down hard on his bottom lip and let out a little shriek of delight.

Soon, the party was in full swing. A large portion of the group was already heavily intoxicated. Nami and Vivi shrieked as they lowered themselves into the Jacuzzi, Helmeppo following excitedly. Hancock and Keimi were sitting atop the shoulders of Marco and Law, respectively, having some sort of exciting duel. Ace was probably the most drunk of everyone there, falling all over Zoro and rambling on in several languages about how much he loved Zoro's muscles as Sanji watched them from the water, laughing loudly.

Usopp sat on the edge of the pool with his feet in the water, looking down at how his hands were knitted in his lap, away from the action. He was rather annoyed that he was still being shut out, even after helping them get in and get drunk. Perhaps the most heartbreaking part was that Sanji, the whole reason why Usopp agreed to such a stupid thing to begin with, wasn't paying much attention to him, either. Rather, he was flirting with everyone else there, contributing to said heartbreak. Upon evaluating the rate at which the party was going, his friends' words played in Usopp's head like a broken record.

_I have no idea what you see in him._

_Plus, he likes boys and girls, so, you have more competition… technically, you're already losing._

_The worst he can say is "no", right?_

Usopp frowned and grumbled, "Shut up, shut up, just shut _up_."

"I haven't even spoken yet."

Usopp was surprised to hear the voice of the boy who he was just going insane over coming from beside him, and the boy himself sitting there, at his right. Sanji slipped his feet into the water, just as Usopp was doing, looking over at the younger male. Usopp turned his head away slightly, both to prevent the blushing from occurring and to let Sanji know that something was wrong. He mumbled a "hey" and looked down at the water.

"I don't know if I've ever told you this, Usopp, but I can read minds." Sanji said. "And I can see with my mind's eye that you're not having too much fun."

"Interesting. I thought you'd be able to see that by the fact that I've been sitting here for a half-hour." Usopp smiled slightly, kicking his legs in the water.

Sanji nudged Usopp with his elbow, prompting Usopp to look at him. "I came to keep you company, so I should hope that I can entertain you."

Usopp studied Sanji's caring expression and cracked a smile. He placed his hands on the cool, wet tiles and leaned back. "It must be nice."

"What do you mean?" Sanji inquired, looking back at Usopp.

"Being the one everyone wants." Usopp stared at Sanji, who simply shrugged.

"Sometimes, it is. You're never lonely, that's for sure. Everyone's always trying to get your attention, kissing your ass, inviting you to parties... but that's it. They never really want to be your real _friend_." Sanji professed, taking his cigarette out from between his lips and studying it before putting it out.

Usopp had never seen such a contemplative side of his crush before. It was truly intriguing. He leaned forward again and asked, "Meaning?"

Sanji looked around at his group of friends and let out a little scoff, looking up at the stars. "Nobody knows this, but… my mom's in rehab again. She was clean for six months."

"That's awful..." Usopp whispered, inching closer to Sanji. "What made her go back to it?"

"A couple of weeks ago, she found out my dad's been cheating on her with his assistant. Shit hit the fan, she fell off the wagon." Sanji had a sad smile on his face when he looked at Usopp. "I think I'll visit her this weekend."

"I'm so sorry that had to happen to you," Usopp, feeling a bit brave, laid a hand on top of Sanji's. "If it makes you feel any better, my mom hasn't been around for three years."

"How come?" Sanji inquired, looking at the younger boy on his left.

Usopp let out a shaky sigh. "In the ninth grade, I told my parents that I was gay and that I was dating this guy. My dad was pretty alright with it, but my mom..."

Sanji shook his head. "Damn."

"She really freaked out. There was this huge fight between her and my dad that night. Ended with her packing up her stuff and leaving the next day. I see her around town a lot, and, sometimes, I want to say hi and catch up with her. Other days, I just pass by her without saying a word."

Sanji shifted his hand and planted it on top of Usopp's this time. He let out a quiet sigh. "I consider you one of my best friends, Usopp."

The long-nosed boy glanced at Sanji, smiling slightly. "How come?"

"Because, if I told any other one of these guys what I just told you, they would probably just say that life sucks and that I should get over it," Sanji motioned to the crowd before him. "But not you. You're different, and it's almost infuriating."

"Weird way to put it." Usopp replied, chuckling along with Sanji.

"It's not you. It's infuriating because it's almost like I'm pretending to be someone with these guys, 'cause they put me on a fuckin' pedestal all the time, but, you..." Sanji paused for a moment, peering at Usopp. "You kind of bring me down to earth. No one's ever done that."

Usopp's heart fluttered, but for a different reason than all those times when Sanji flirted with him or even looked his way. Sanji Duquesne wasn't a scary guy who was made to be worshipped. Deep down, Sanji Duquesne was just a regular teenager with his fair share of problems. He was just like Usopp, in a way. It was there, in that moment when they stared at one another with their hands touching, that it hit him: Usopp didn't need to be scared of Sanji. He never did.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Usopp smiled.

"Shoot," Sanji answered.

Usopp looked up at the full moon. He could feel that shimmering blue eye's gaze on him. "I've had the biggest crush on you for the longest time now. I've just been so scared to tell you, since you're _the_Sanji motherfucking Duquesne. I've just had this notion that you would be a fantastic boyfriend."

Sanji exhaled in the form of a quiet laugh. "Is that so?"

"Oh, yeah." Usopp sighed. He was trembling slightly, still so nervous about the possible rejection he might face.

Sanji felt this shaking, so he squeezed Usopp's hand gently. Usopp turned to face Sanji. "Hey. Don't be nervous."

"I feel like I'm about to shit my pants." Usopp whispered harshly, then blushed as Sanji chortled at the strange confession.

"Even then..." Sanji started, sliding closer to Usopp. "It wouldn't change the fact that I'd love to prove to you that I am a magnificent significant other."

The long-nosed male's eyes widened. "You... you would want to? Be with... me?"

"Well, yeah," Sanji stated with a smile. "You seem like a hopeless romantic, much like myself. Besides, now that I think about it, I think I like you, too."

Usopp exhaled and a wide smile spread across his face. It disappeared slowly. "But you're going away to university soon, right? Culinary stuff? I don't just want a summer fling; I'm in it for the long-haul."

Laughing at Usopp's urgency, Sanji let his fingers slip into the spaces between Usopp's. "There's always holidays, right? Maybe I'll stop by Sandersonia for a visit, take you out for lunch."

The smile quickly returned. "Would you really do that?"

Sanji smiled as well. "Anything to see my boyfriend after I'm gone. Hell, I might even let you lecture me about carcinogens."

Usopp bit his bottom lip for what seemed like the thousandth time that night. "I would like that."

Sanji nodded. He gave Usopp a peculiar look, tilting his head slightly. "Your nose seems troublesome. Does it bend?"

Usopp furrowed his eyebrows. "Yeah, it does... why do you ask?"

Sanji grinned, leaning over to expertly plant a kiss on Usopp's parted lips. Usopp let out a surprised gasp, but slowly eased into the kiss. Sanji's lips were soft and warm, just like they'd been in Usopp's daydreams, but much better – it was the real thing.

Sanji pulled back, his fingers knotted in Usopp's hair with his hands grasping the younger boy's face. "Est-ce que tu sais que tu embrasses bien?*"

Breathless, Usopp sighed, "Oh, Sanji, talk dirty to me."

This time, as they kissed again, Usopp realized that simply _imagining _the taste of mint, vanilla and that bitter cigarette smoke was a thing of the past.

* * *

**First asterisk: "I will be in the kitchen if you need me, okay?"  
Second asterisk: "Did you know that you kiss good?"**

**So. Did you enjoy it? :') If so, I would greatly appreciate any feedback you have to offer. Thanks for reading!**

**- Angela**


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